Former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli and his sons have been sentenced to prison in the Odebrecht corruption case. The Martinelli brothers were already extradited, prosecuted, and convicted for laundering up to $28 million in bribes from Odebrecht, as they confessed to the Brooklyn judge. They stated they committed the crimes following their father's instructions. Ricardo Martinelli himself has just finished his trial and is awaiting the verdict. The scandal also involves former President Juan Carlos Varela, former Minister Jaime Ford, and the Martinelli brothers. All four are deputies of the Central American Parliament (Parlacen) and will be tried by Panama's Supreme Court (CSJ), which has consolidated their cases into one. Ford was already convicted for money laundering in another case during Martinelli's administration and is also awaiting a verdict in the Odebrecht case. Varela is being investigated for transfers from Odebrecht to accounts linked to his political campaign. According to testimony from former Odebrecht executives, these funds were received as donations for his campaign. All four, being deputies, are subject to parliamentary immunity, which is why the Supreme Court is handling their cases. A trial date has not yet been set.
